


flexing.

by orphan_account



Category: NCIS
Genre: Episode Tag, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 18:55:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17903645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Nick shows off "his girl".tag to 16x14.





	flexing.

"-Come on, I went to goat yoga! Goat yoga- for you! You at least owe me this!"

Nick Torres could be as desperate and whiny as the worst of toddlers when his pride was on the line, Ellie was learning. He'd showed up on her doorstep; begging her to join him for his Sunday "Fun Day" down at the Navy Yard gym, a request that was most unusual since usually Nick spent that time with a few of his buddies from around the yard, pumping iron and trying to beat each other's personal bests. 

It hadn't taken long for him to crack and admit the real reason why he needed her on his well-muscled arm, though. 

Master Sergeant Alicia Reyes, who they all agreed would probably be the first woman to become a SEAL, was back in town after doing some training in California, and Nick needed to prove to his ex of three or so months that he had "one hundred percent moved on". 

"You actually dated her? What is with you and women that could eat you alive?", Ellie asked, her arms still crossed over her chest as she leaned against her door frame. 

"I like a challenge? And it seemed like we were vibing, for like? Six dates, Ell!" 

"And that is why you have not one hundred percent moved on.", she laughed, putting air quotes around his words. 

"I know- but- Ellie, come on. Come through for your partner- pleaaase?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You want me to pretend to be your hot, gym rat girlfriend so you can make your hot, actual gym rat ex-girlfriend jealous? That's quite the request, Agent Torres."

"Well, you could use a little more practice working undercover, and this is a low risk op. Plus; I'm going to expense your post-workout donuts."

"Plus sprinkles?"

"Plus sprinkles and glaze." 

"Hm." She fixed him with a searching look; as if she was seriously considering his offer. 

"Deal. I'll get my stuff."

-

Several hours later; Ellie's legs were shaking and she felt as if her arms were jelly. Somehow, Nick was still pumping out bicep curls sitting on one of the benches at the gym, clearly trying to assert his dominance, or whatever it was guys did in places like this. She almost wished she'd taken him up on his offer for a sip from his gross protein shake. 

Alicia hadn't made an appearance so far; and for the first part of their day, Ellie had kept pace with her partner, racing him on the treadmills and trading their phones between them to shoot quick videos for their respective instagrams while they finished a short course on the bikes. She had always been naturally athletic, and while she didn't like the gym enough to make it a habit like Nick did, she clearly had a little bit of a leg up on him when it came to cardio, at least.

She would never understand where he got the stamina for strength training though, much less cracking jokes with his friends while she was pretty sure he was bench pressing twice his own weight as she sat on one of the benches and thoughtfully chewed on her granola bar. Nick was shirtless and shiny with sweat, exertion carving out the solid wall of his abs and back. He was hot (objectively, of course) and she felt herself grow slightly warmer watching him.

Must have been the fluorescent bars above them, or else she needed to grab a drink. 

Ellie reached for her water bottle, just as someone slammed down a gym bag on the bench beside her. 

"Uh-"

"Sorry, sweetheart- not trying to get in the way of your Pilates break at all."

She looked up to see a muscular, hulking woman dressed in marine greens, the name tape just above her chest pocket reading "Reyes." Ellie's eyes drifted across the gym to Nick, who had already dropped his bars by the side of the machine he was on, clearly watching their exchange with anticipation. 

"Alicia Reyes?", she asked, meeting the other woman's sharp, grey eyes. "You know, would you believe it if I said I've been waiting all day for you to show up?" 

"Who're you?" 

"Eleanor Bishop- NCIS.", she said, before adding "Senior Field Agent." It wasn't entirely untrue- she had held the position for a few weeks at least, and she'd been damn good at it, too. Briefly, Ellie wondered if she was perhaps overplaying it, leaning far too hard into her "character"- but she remembered that good old Torres rule: It was important for their undercover alter egos to have backstories that added up.

She had to outrank Alicia; her donuts were depending on it!

Alicia seemed to relax a bit, grinning as she rummaged through her bag. "Oh yeah, you work with Gibbs, right? Heard a lot of stories about him. And it is damn hard to find a competent woman around here, huh?", she told Ellie. 

"Tell me about it. I needed someone to spot me.", she said, glancing over at the bench presses, where Nick and a couple of other guys were hovering close to a water fountain, clearly much more interested in Alison's arrival than their own workouts. 

"Yeah, for sure. Let's get going then, Bishop. Time to show these guys how it's done."

-

Alicia seemed to hone in on Nick almost right away, making a beeline for him through the other guys as Ellie followed just a couple of steps behind. 

"Torres! Now aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" 

"Ha- Reyes. Good to see you again.", Nick said, a little flustered. Ellie felt a bit sorry for him, as his friends snickered behind him. 

"Still trying to beat that old personal best, hm, Shorty?", she teased, and Ellie cocked her head slightly to the side. Reyes was tall and stocky; easily having a couple of inches up on Torres. What did that make her, 5'10? About that, Ellie agreed to herself, catching up with the two of them. 

"Yeah, you know me. Gotta get those gains.", said Nick. 

"Oh- it's not going to give you a couple extra inches, anywhere that it counts, anyway.", she giggled. In that moment, Ellie felt a rush of fire-

"Hey-", she called out. "Hey, Alicia? Mind spotting me? Or are you too busy hitting on my boyfriend? He's pretty cute, right?"

"Oh-", Alicia turned back to face her. "-You and- Torres?" 

"I like to call him Nick.", Ellie said, as she slid herself under the bench press, wondering exactly how much of this she could figure out.

"Yeah, I did, too. He does get around, doesn't he?", Alicia joked, as she added a few plates to Ellie's bar. They were noticeably quite light, as Ellie pushed up to test their weight.

Oh- did Alicia think she was weak now? Ellie rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth. Now that; was an affront she just couldn't put up with. 

"I need 185, Reyes.", she said, sharply. 

"No offense, but you probably weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet. You sure?" 

"I wouldn't judge a book by its cover, if I were you." 

Alicia obliged, and Ellie tested the resistance of the bar against her hands before she lifted. Nick's eyes were wide, in concern or complete shock that she was playing her part to hilt; she couldn't tell. She pushed against the bar, surprised to see it rise. Mind over matter, it seemed, was applicable in almost any situation.

She could feel her muscles stiffen slightly, but pushed past the slight ache as she lowered the bar. 

"I see why Nick's into you. Him and women who could kick his ass, am I right? He's such a good time.", Alicia said, as she moved to take the plates off the bar. 

"Well, you know what they say about treasure and trash.", Ellie said, far more pointedly this time as she pushed herself off the machine. Nick stood above her, and she happily let herself fall into his arms, pressing a light kiss to his cheek. "Thank you."

-

"Oh- God- I'm never going to the gym again. Everything hurts and it's all your fault!", Ellie groaned, trying to stretch herself out on the sofa; her head in Nick's lap. It would be nice, cuddling with him after a workout, if she wasn't so stiff and sore that she couldn't even enjoy him rubbing her back without moaning a at the sharp pain between her shoulder blades.

She hadn't felt the muscles there pull when she had been busy showing Alicia Reyes just how good Nick had it with her; too lost in the character to notice, but several hours later, it was taking a decent bit of mind over matter to bite back hissing in pain. 

"Babe- you are a total beast! I'm never gonna mess with you again."

"Well I'm sick of fighting your battles- so you better not!", she sighed, trying to roll herself over and ease at least a little bit of her discomfort. It wasn't helping in the slightest, though she liked seeing Nick's smile a bit better.

"Uh-huh. You know, you seemed to be fighting your own battle with Reyes in there...", he chuckled, shaking his head. Leave it to Ellie to go the extra mile.

"She was being mean to you! I mean- and she still thinks size matters? She's setting back feminism-"

Nick held up both hands; backing away from the couch as Ellie started to hit her groove. "Okay- bubble bath it is. I'll get that going- you better still like that weird eucalyptus stuff-"

**Author's Note:**

> can you all tell i visit the gym like....never lol (personally i'm a swimmer and do yoga uhh)
> 
> i would die if wilmer and emily blessed us with gym stories on ig tho!


End file.
